Helix News and Research

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New Model Reveals Interplay Between Circadian Rhythms and Sleep-Wake Cycles in Gene Expression

A mathematical, driven, damped harmonic oscillator model to assess the varying contributions of circadian cues and sleep-wake processes on gene expression and the rhythmic transcriptome.

18 Jul 2024

Phage Protein Discovery Holds New Key to Battling Bacteria

An unexpected find has enabled important progress to be made in the battle against harmful bacteria.

11 Jul 2024

Real-Time Snapshots of RNA Polymerase Illuminate Transcription Bubble Dynamics

Every living cell transcribes DNA into RNA. This process begins when an enzyme called RNA polymerase (RNAP) clamps onto DNA.

10 Jul 2024

New Gene-Editing Tool Offers More Precision and Flexibility

Researchers at the University of Sydney have created a gene-editing instrument that is more precise and adaptable than the industry standard CRISPR, which has transformed genetic engineering in biotechnology, agriculture, and medicine.

24 Jun 2024

Genetic Insights into Salt Gland Formation and Stress Responses in Sea Lavender

Basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factors are essential for various plant processes, including growth, development, and stress responses.

7 Jun 2024

Structural Insights into a Novel Gene-Editing Tool

Yutaro Shuto, Ryoya Nakagawa, and Osamu Nureki of the University of Tokyo conducted collaborative research to ascertain the spatial organization of different processes within a unique gene-editing instrument known as “prime editor.”

30 May 2024

Unmasking XPD’s Mechanism in DNA Damage Detection and Repair

The way the protein XPD recognizes severe DNA damage and regulates its repair was uncovered by researchers at the University of Würzburg, under the direction of Caroline Kisker and Claudia Höbartner.

29 May 2024

Unraveling the Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Entanglement Resolution

Picture in your mind a traditional "landline" telephone with a coiled cord connecting the handset to the phone.

12 Apr 2024

Scientists Create Lifelike Human Ear Replica with 3D Printing

Using state-of-the-art tissue engineering techniques and a 3D printer, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Engineering have assembled a replica of an adult human ear that looks and feels natural.

1 Apr 2024

Protein RAD51 Acts as Guardian Against DNA Over-Replication

Every time a cell divides, its DNA is duplicated so that the two daughter cells have the same genetic material as their parent.

5 Mar 2024

Scientists Discover Dual Challenges in DNA Replication Process

Half a century ago, scientists Jim Watson and Alexey Olovnikov independently realized that there was a problem with how our DNA gets copied.

29 Feb 2024

DNA Repair Breakthrough: Scientists Reveal RecA's Precise Helix Navigation

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have been studying DNA repair by homologous recombination, where the RecA protein repairs breaks in double-stranded DNA by incorporating a dangling single-strand end into intact double strands, and repairing the break based on the undamaged sequence.

22 Jan 2024

Computational Creation of Complex Protein All-α Structures

Based on their amino acid sequences, proteins fold into distinct three-dimensional structures that determine their function. While de novo protein design has advanced significantly, complex all-αproteins, in which α-helices are not stacked in a parallel fashion within three-dimensional structures, have not been as easily designed.

8 Jan 2024

New Method Designs Proteins With Complex Shapes

A team of researchers has developed an innovative method to design complicated all-α proteins, characterized by their non-uniformly arranged α-helices as seen in hemoglobin.

5 Jan 2024

A Dihydrofolate Reductase Single-Domain Protein Catenane

Professor Wen-Bin Zhang of the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University and the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, along with Dr. Jing Fang of the same institution, are leading the study.

2 Jan 2024

Scientists Crack the Code for Artificial DNA

The genetic code is composed of just four letters representing the four nucleotides, which are the fundamental building blocks of DNA.

14 Dec 2023

Tokyo Metropolitan University Decodes DNA Repair Mechanisms

Tokyo Metropolitan University researchers have uncovered crucial aspects of the DNA repair mechanism within human bodies.

16 Nov 2023

Large Study Finds 187 New Genetic Variants Linked to Prostate Cancer

A globe-spanning scientific team has compiled the most comprehensive list of genetic variants associated with prostate cancer risk -; 451 in all -; through a whole-genome analysis that ranks as the largest and most diverse investigation into prostate cancer genetics yet.

10 Nov 2023

Exploring Z-RNA’s Role in Immune Response

Quentin Vicens, an Assistant Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston, has been granted $1.2 million by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to investigate the enigmatic Z-RNA structure found within human cells.

3 Nov 2023